i see all the wonders in your eyes just standing still
by danahscott
Summary: The Doctor takes Rose to Sinoru, a planet known for its grand (and unexpected) seasons. What he doesn't realize is that a beautiful fall can lead to an unforgiving winter, all in the matter of a few hours.


"So, Doctor," Rose said, leaning against the TARDIS and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "Where are you taking me today?"

"A planet."  
Rose laughed. "Well, I figured that much," she said, eyebrow raised in amusement, "but which one?"

The Doctor pulled a lever and then stood, smiling at her, walking towards the doors. "This one," he said proudly. When he pulled the door open, Rose couldn't help but let out a small, quiet gasp. It looked like it had been lit on fire with color. It was autumn - it was autumn _everywhere_. She had seen many beautiful things while travelling with the Doctor, but this definitely had to be in the top ten. It even smelled like fall, like there was a trace of cinnamon in the air.

"Welcome to Sinoru, Rose Tyler," the Doctor said. She could practically hear him grinning. "Known for its grand - and unexpected - season changes." He checked his watch, as if watches could tell them anything in their life, but Rose knew he liked to make a show out of it, so she just smiled. "If I've gotten the date right - which, mind you, is very possible - then Sinoru should be empty except for us. We've got the place for ourselves."  
"Really?" Rose turned to him, surprised. "An entire planet for us? What brought this on?"

"Figured we could use a break. Besides, it isn't almost Christmas? In your timeline?"

"Who knows anymore?" She smiled at him, then ran ahead a bit, looking at the leaves. He knew she'd love it. He was glad he was right. He started to follow her, and then as a last thought, grabbed her jacket from the TARDIS. Who knew? They might need it.

 **-::-::-::-::-::-**

It must have been at least an hour and a half they were walking around. The longer they went, the more thoroughly the Doctor was convinced that he'd made the absolute right decision to bring Rose here. The yellow sun glowed through the orange leaves, and Rose was shining. She was always shining. It was an afternoon of aimless stories and aimless wandering. In the midst of all near deaths and adventures gone wrong, he knew they'd remember this day. It had been a long time since the Doctor had been so relaxed.

And maybe it was because of this that he didn't notice it starting to get colder and colder. It wasn't until the first drop of snow started to fall that he realized they might have made a big, big mistake.

"Rose?" He looked over at her and noticed she was starting to shiver.

"Yes, Doctor?"

"I think it's time to turn back now."

"Are you sure? It's still so lovely."

He'd been carrying it around for the day, but he handed Rose her coat, which she gratefully took. Her cheeks were a bit pink from the cold. The Doctor turned on his heel and headed back.

"Doctor? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Rose. Don't worry about it. Let's just get back to the TARDIS." He knew he was walking fast, he could see her confused face out of the corner of his eye, but at the moment, he was just questioning how he could have been so stupid. Sinoru was known for its grand and unexpected weather. Which meant that any moment now, they could be in a full blown blizzard.

"Look, Doctor. It's snowing harder." Rose gestured at the sky, and the fat, white flakes drifting down.

"I know, Rose. I know."

 **-::-::-::-::-::-**

"Doctor, it's the cold, isn't it?"

"What?"

"That's what you're worried about. That's why you're walking so fast, for starters. Well, I just noticed because - it's getting colder."

The Doctor stopped walking and looked at her, worried. "Are you getting colder?"

"You're not?"

"Different biology."

"Well, yeah. But - but it'll be fine, won't it? C'mon, after everything we've gone through, it's not going to be a bit of frostbite to do us in, right?"

The Doctor just looked at her, concerned, and then kept walking even faster. Rose shivered, and not just because she was cold.

 **-::-::-::-::-::-**

They made the trip in half the time, finally arriving at the TARDIS after forty five minutes. Normally, he would've been relieved. They would've gone inside, he would've put the kettle on, he would have told her how brilliant she was, how brilliant the day had been, how he was barmy to have been worried about it for even a moment. He wouldn't have told her how lovely her hair looked against the falling snow.

He would've done all those things, and it would've been just another near miss - not even that, a near near miss. Except, when they got to the TARDIS, it was covered in ice. Not just covered, actually. Encased in ice. And he was starting to feel the cold, too. He'd been suspending his body heat to Rose in an attempt to keep her warm for longer. Normally it would take longer for a human being to succumb to hypothermia if they weren't wet, but in these temperatures… At least the snow had let up.

But now that there was no way to break through to the TARDIS, it seemed that it was all for nothing. It was seeming hard to believe. "Rose," he said, hoarsely. He didn't hear a response. He turned around, and didn't see her. Panic leapt up in his throat. "Rose!"

"Why don't we use these?" Seemingly from nowhere, she turned up, two icicles in her hand.

"Too fragile, it won't work."

"Look harder. You said 'grand weather.' These seem a lot more durable than the icicles back on Earth."

He looked closer. She was right. She was _right_. "Rose Tyler, you are _brilliant_!" Her face split into a wide smile, and though he knew they were both freezing to death, he felt a little bit of warmth trickle through him. "Let's get to work."

 **-::-::-::-::-::-**

It was a good idea, it was. But there was one problem. Big, strong icicles meant big, strong ice. And that included the ice surrounding the TARDIS. After half an hour, Rose had given up. But the Doctor hadn't. If they just kept going, they might break through, and if they broke through then they'd be able to get in, and Rose would be safe, and they'd both be able to tell this story later, and laugh about it, but they had to get in first.

He felt himself starting to weaken. After a repeated half hour of relentless banging on an ice cube, his arm was ready to fall off, so he put all his concentration at the task at hand: getting through that ice.

"Doctor?" Rose's voice came to him, feeble. "I feel so much colder all of a sudden." He stopped. He'd let the suspension drop, just for a moment. The icicle fell at his feet, sinking into the snow which had, thankfully, let up. Rose was slouched against the TARDIS, eyes half open. His hearts were thumping in his chest. He sat down next to her.

"I'm here," he said, returning the suspension.

"That's better." She moved closer to him, leaning her head on his shoulder and in that moment he felt so loved and so sorry.

"I'm sorry, Rose."

"Don't say that."

"I'm so sorry."

"Doctor."

"I shouldn't have brought you here. I wanted us to have a day off and now look, killed by a bit of snow."

"We're not dead yet."

"That's true. We're not. But whatever happens, this is my fault. I didn't even notice it get colder, I didn't even realize about the weather. I should have been more careful. I should've taken you somewhere else."

"Doctor."

"It's my fault, and -"

" _Doctor_ ," she said, and finally he stopped. "It was my choice to come just as much as it was your choice to take me here. And if I died when Cassandra tried to burn me alive, it still would've been worth it in the end. You know that, don't you? That it was all worth it. I wouldn't have traded it for anything. And if that means dying here today, then that's what it means."

For once, the Doctor couldn't speak. He just nodded. This couldn't be how it ended for her. Not when she had so much life left, enough to think of him, even now, even as she was turning blue.

"If this is the end, though, Doctor, then you should know how I - you should know -" Her eyes started to drift shut.

"What, Rose? What should I know?"

"Doctor, is it getting warmer?" And then, she finally closed her eyes. He watched her chest rise and fall, and prayed that a miracle would happen - and fast. He closed his eyes, too. He was still trying to keep her warm, so he hugged her close to him, but the cold was starting to get to him, too. He felt himself getting sleepier and sleepier. It was feeling warmer, but the Doctor knew that was just one of the last stages of hypothermia.

As the Doctor finally drifted into unconsciousness, he wasn't sure whether he was dreaming when five feet in front him, he saw a rose start to bloom.

 **-::-::-::-::-::-**

He woke up in what looked like the garden of Eden. He could smell flowers blooming all around him, and he was swallowed in tall grass The sun was shining high through the tree, and the dirt underneath him was damp. The memories flooded back to him. He looked at the TARDIS which had thawed - he wanted to cry with relief. But his hearts constricted again when he thought of Rose. Once he passed out, he wouldn't have been able to hold the suspension any longer. He got to his feet. There was so much grass everywhere - but he only had to look down.

In her sleep, she almost looked as if she was smiling. Her chest was steadily rising up and down, and in her bed of flowers, she looked like a fairytale. He smiled. Impossibly, it had worked out. Well, that was how it always worked out for them in the end, wasn't it? He could take her inside the TARDIS, far away from the planet that had almost killed them both - but if they stayed away from every planet that had nearly killed them, they wouldn't be able to return anywhere. So he unlocked the TARDIS, sat in the doorway, and let her sleep.

She started to stir only ten minutes later. Watching her wake up was like watching the sunrise. He could see the sky reflecting in her eyes, he could see the wonder she was feeling. It was what he loved most about her, how wonderful she found the universe. She knew its horrors as he did, but she knew its beauties too. She loved it as he did. He watched her turn her head towards his. When their eyes met, the Doctor wondered why he'd ever felt cold.


End file.
